Week 12

Kumusta!

This was a great week! Elder Kelsons last full week too! Man I'm getting a new companion this week, I'm not nervous....I am pretty positive that he is gonna be a Filipino, which is fine, I just don't know if I am ready to speak tagalog 24/7! This next coming cycle if I do get a Filipino comp I will probably learn tagalog faster and be better at it. Elder Kelson was a great missionary and everyone in the ward loved him so I hope I can kinda fill his shoes...We shall see. Honestly I've learned out here, things are only gonna be as good as you make them, if you want something to turn out good you have to put it all in. I decided this last week that I no matter what at the end of my mission I want to have no regrets, so every time I don't want to study or don't want to do what ever I think if I will regret the choice or not. It was during study I kinda looked back on my life and thought of some things that I wish I would have done, and decided that I am not gonna have anymore regrets like that! The Lord promises blessings but only if you are will to put in the effort to obtain them! That's something I have learned these first 12 weeks. Especially Tatay balagbaggan, he wants to be baptized but he cant receive that blessing until he does what it takes to quit drinking!

So on to our investigators, we had of course the baptism of Nanay Balagbaggan, that was awesome! First baptism of the mish! It was great the spirit was there and it was strong! The service went great, Kelson baptized her, I talked to her a little after the baptism and she said that she was happy and felt good now. I talked to Tatay, he said that he couldn't wait for his baptism and he said that he couldn't wait for his baptism and that he was happy for his wife! He isn't mad anymore just cant wait for his own baptism. He hasn't drunk for 2 weeks and is going into his 3rd week. Man after Nanays baptism she is so happy, every time I see her she is always smiling. Before she was a lot shyer and didn't smile as much, its cool to see how her heart has changed. She didn't even listen to the lessons back in the day she barely started listening before I arrived, and we have been teaching the Balagbaggans for over 1 1/2 years! The relief society did a great job fellow-shipping her too!! When we went over to their house on Sunday she kept on talking about all of the Relief Society activities coming up. Their family is changed so much. Tatays baptism is March 10 and we are gonna baptize their one of their kids too. She is 13 and she has come to Church 5 or 6 times and she went to the baptism and I think that we are gonna try to start teaching her the basics and baptize her with Tatay!

Rosanna, well we keep on having great lessons with her, and she is very interested, the only problem is that she is moving back to her parents house for a few months, and she moved on saturday so we lost her.

Sarah is doing good, she didn't go to church, I don't know why, all of our lessons with her have been pretty solid and she usually keeps all of her commitments.

The Leals, I don't really get them sometimes they are very into the lesson and sometimes they really get it, other times they don't even listen to us. The like it when we come over, and they like talking to us, and at different times both of them have said that they need to go to church...they just then never end up coming...so that kinda stinks..

The Gomez's might have become my favorite family this week, they are both super solid. They both listen and participate great in the lessons, Tatay said that he wants to go to the temple and they are both super nice. They love coming to Church...Nanay said that she is sad when they don't come to Church! They didn't come to Church this sunday though because it rained...it would amaze you how many people don't come to church...because of the rain...even if it is just a little mist.

We started teaching this one kid named Carmichael, he is the same age as Daniel a recent convert so like 16. Anyways we were teaching him this week, every now and then we stop by his house and teach him and this week he told us that he wants us to teach him more because he wants to be better and he wants to serve a mission. He received the Priesthood right before I got to Santiago. Then he went inactive and started drinking and kinda to a turn for the worse. But he wants to be better so we are gonna start teaching him and stuff. Strengthening that testimony!

That's most of what happened this week, we had zone conference on thursday, we learned more about the doctrine of Christ (2nephi 31). We also talked about the new program and how it is working and how we can improve it in our wards. It was combined Santiago Zone and Nuave Viscaya Zone and Elder Allen my old comp is in Viscaya so I got to talk to him. He has had 2 pasuway (disobedient) comps in a row...I kinda feel bad for him because I got a pretty good comp and a good area, everyone is telling me how spoiled I am in Baluarte and how when I go to a different area I will have a wake up call. Just cause the work is pretty good here, the ward is run pretty good and its close to Santiago a big city! I'll kinda of be disappointed when I get transferred out of it, so hopefully I will be here a little while longer! I am hoping for at least two more Cycles or..12 more weeks.

Our ward also had a farewell party for elder Kelson because he has been in the area for so long. It was great we played games, people sang some songs and then at the end people came up and said why they were greatful for elder kelson. Then elder Kelson said kinda a goodbye at the end and said thanks to everyone. Then we took pictures and left, about half the ward was there.

Not much happened other then that....for pday we didn't really have much to do, so we hooked up with the zone leaders in santiago and the ap's and we made a ton of water balloons and water ballooned some unsuspecting elders...we all got wet, I am still soaked right now as I email this.

Oh yeah yesterday too we got sooo soo stuffed. Because after church we went back to the Apartment had a snack their, went to this Nanays who always makes us lunch on Sundays. We then went to the Balagbaggans and they fed us their, then we went to Daniels and he gave us a snack their, then we had a appointment..we didn't get fed at (thank goodness) then we went to our dinner appointment at the Magallano's. And they always always make me eat sooo much, but I was already stuffed!

So anyways thanks for everything all the support and love, I guess next week when I email I will have a different companion!
Ingat kayo palagi
Mahal Kita
Elder James